Kitchen Mission

When we eat we make choices beyond what sounds good. Where was our food grown and by whom? Where was our meat raised? Was the animal treated humanely? Was the seafood sustainable? Were the farmers treated fairly? Were the fishermen?

These are the questions we know you care about and so do we. We are never perfect but always mindful. We are passionate about food that is good for the soul but also for the planet. We are on a journey. We hope it will be a long one and we hope you will join us.

EATS ROOTS LEAVES HOSPITALITY

conscientiously delicious

News, events & offers from ERL

Thank you! We'll try to make keeping in touch with ERL Hospitality worth your while, with limited updates on restaurant news, events and specials or offers.

ERL restaurants

Catering & Event Hosting

We've got the room, cuisine and know-how to make your event memorable

I just want to let you know how pleased we were with your work over the weekend. The food was fantastic! Everyone raved about the avocado, the strawberries, the pasta, the fish, the veggies, dessert, all of it. The catering and service were so deftly executed and seamless, as to be invisible and yet always there. We will absolutely call on you for our next event, regardless of the venue.

— a recent & happy customer

CATERING

Cater your location or ours, with items from our restaurants or specialty menus we can develop just for you. Everything from stand up finger-food to sit-down meals. We'll help you prepare for intimate gatherings or parties of 50 and more. ERL also has the expertise to add an amazing beverage component to your catering - with access to selectively sourced wines, spirits and beers from around the world.

EVENT HOSTING

Hosted events are more than just a room. They are the ambiance, comfort and dependable logistics of everything from staffing to glasses that make your function the best it can be.

Sometimes the hardest part of an event is remembering to enjoy it yourself. With ERL you can sit back, relax and let us handle some of the hardest details of getting it right for you and your guests. Hosting can be scheduled at any of our restaurant locations and scaled to fit your needs.

OUR TEAM

David Starkey

Shortly after moving up to the Hudson Valley with his family, David opened Tomatillo, the "Mexchester Original," with its Farm-to-Taco philosophy. It was soon followed by Sweet Grass Grill and Red Zebra all sharing the same locavore integrity. A fourth, a "fresh-casual" concept, Grass Roots Kitchen, is scheduled to open this summer.

Juan Jimenez

Executive Chef

Chef Jimenez was born in Puebla, Mexico and grew up in nearby Morelos. After college he moved to San Diego and then eventually New York where he joined the restaurant group led by Louis Lanza. He learned every station and was quickly running Lanza's most popular restaurants, Citrus and Josephina, on the upper westside. In 2013, he joined Sweet Grass Grill as a sous chef and a year later took over as the chef de cuisine. He is now the executive chef at ERL Hospitality.

Aldo Hernandez

Chef

Chef Aldo has focused his culinary career on bringing the flavors of the taquerias of Tijuana, Mexico to the east coast. Growing up in Tijuana, Chef Aldo developed an early appreciation for blending flavors with fresh ingredients through Latin cuisine. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York he went on to work across the east coast and Texas in restaurants and cafes focused on different cuisines. He decided to return to his original culinary interest and passion of Latin cuisine when he joined ERL Hospitality in December 2016.

Michael Caspi

Chef

Chef Caspi began his career in Israel, following in his father’s footsteps, before moving to New York. He spent several years there at the highest-end restaurants such as Daniel, Adour Alain Ducasse and Per Se. He moved north and worked with Dan Barber's team at Blue Hill at Stone Barns before joining ERL (Sweet Grass Grill) in 2015.

Jessica Schwab

Business Manager

In her role as business manager at ERL, Jessica brings together her passion for sustainable lifestyles and customer service with the business skills she developed during her past career at IBM. Joining the team in 2013, Jessica’s focus is on HR and operations across all ERL restaurant locations.

ERL Employment

A variety of cuisines, jobs and schedules across our locations means that we may have the position that's a great fit for you. We're always on the lookout for talent for our front-of-house and kitchen positions. Reach us below with your contact information, resume details and/or work experience.